Sunday, October 28, 2018

Welcome Adam Charles back to Sunday Spotlight. Adam is sharing a bit from Haunt His Heart, a MM paranormal read perfect for Halloween!

****

When Ben goes to visit his best friend Mark at UVA, he decides to stop by Edgar Allan Poe’s old dormitory. There, he meets a man named Raven, and the connection they feel is undeniable. He doesn’t want to miss out on time with his friend, but every moment with Raven makes him wonder if unseen forces brought them both to the historic site for a reason.

Mark couldn’t be more thrilled that his best friend has met an amazing guy. And when they go to a party Raven invited them to, Mark meets someone pretty special himself. He was already sure some higher power was working in his friend Ben’s favor, but one kiss from Loki makes a true believer out of him.

And when Mark and Loki actually encounter a supernatural presence, all four men embark on a journey they’ll never forget.

Are you sure you don’t want to take the car? Take a spin around town? I don’t mind waiting for you after class.” Mark held the keys out to Ben one more time.

“No. I’d like to explore the campus. It’s really beautiful here,” Ben said, leaning back on the steps they were sitting on. “I think I’ll go to the rotunda, and then check out Edgar Allan Poe’s room.”

“That won’t kill much time.”

Ben smiled at his friend. “But I want to really absorb the experience. He’s my favorite poet. What would people say if I told them I’d actually been to the University of Virginia but hadn’t visited Poe’s room?”

Mark laughed. “You’re right. They’d think you were an idiot.”

“But I’ll meet you back here promptly in two hours.”

“Good deal.” Mark stood up and gathered his books. “We can go downtown and get some lunch.”

Ben nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Now get to that math class.”

Mark rolled his eyes and groaned, then waved and headed down the stairs.

As Mark walked away, Ben took a deep breath. He felt his excitement growing. He’d received both of his degrees from an urban university stuck in the middle of a smelly, dirty city. But this place was his idea of a real university. With its old buildings and beautiful landscaping, he felt he could spend the rest of his days reading a book under one of its mighty trees.

He stood up and swung his bag over his shoulder. He’d planned on going to the rotunda first, but he just couldn’t wait. From the library, he was only about three or four hundred feet from the old dorm rooms, so it made more sense to go see Poe’s room first. He set his sights on the black and gray historical marker as he cut across the grass.

He pulled his coat closer around his body as the wind picked up. Even though he would have loved the privilege of living in one of the original dorms, and it was indeed a privilege hard-won at UVA, he wasn’t sure about going through a Virginia winter without central heating.

He stopped and read the historical marker before looking over at the glassed-off room. The marker told him very little he didn’t already know, though he had to laugh because so many tourists came to see this room even though Poe was only a student there for one semester. He turned and headed for the door, wishing it might start snowing again or that one of the ravens he’d seen perched near the library would fly over and join him for his visit.

He peered into the room and was amazed at how small it really was. There was barely enough room for a rather unsafe looking single bed along with a desk and chair. There was a fireplace that looked pretty cozy, but the large window opposite the door wasn’t insulated at all. He could imagine himself sleeping on the floor as close to the fire as safely possible.

A carving of a raven perched on a branch sat on the desk.

“Cute,” he said softly.

He saw a faded plaque and a button to his right. A speaker was mounted on top of the doorframe, so he pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

“It’s broken,” said a deep, rich voice behind him.

Ben turned and saw a guy with amazing gray eyes standing there. He was fair-skinned, but not too pale, with long dark hair pulled back at his nape. He had a fabulous smile that made those big gray eyes sparkle all the more, and Ben couldn’t help smiling back.

“It’s never worked when I’ve popped by.” He shrugged. “It might have been broken for years.”

“Do you come by often?” Ben asked.

He nodded. “I moved here a few months ago, and it’s one of my favorite spots, even though nothing has happened here.”

Ben tilted his head, wondering if he was missing something. “Nothing has happened?”

The guy looked down and laughed. “Sorry. I ramble at times. I’m a paranormal investigator, actually, so I like to visit historic sites from time to time, just in case.”

“There must be a lot of places here in Charlottesville. Is that why you moved here?” The guy’s eyes danced when he laughed, and Ben couldn’t pull his gaze away for long, even though the rest of this guy was very nice to look at as well.

“I’m working on my master’s in psychology. It’s the practical side of becoming a paranormal investigator.”

Ben nodded. “So it isn’t just a hobby? It’s going to be a career?”

“Well, it’s not a realistic career choice, so I imagine I’ll be doing something else as a day job while doing this on the side.”

Ben turned back to the room. “And nothing has happened here?” He couldn’t help feeling disappointed as he gazed into the room and tried to imagine what it would’ve been like when Poe lived there.

He shook his head. “Most people think these are the places most likely to be haunted, but there’s usually no activity in them. A place being old or having a rich history is no guarantee of anything.”

“Do you like Poe?” Ben asked.

He laughed again and pointed to the little woodcarving. “I know The Raven because my mom loves it, but that’s about it.”

Ben wasn’t sure if the guy was laughing because he came here so often but didn’t really know Poe or because of the silly raven in the window. “My major was English, and I really like Poe, even though I’m more into British literature.” He held out his hand. “I’m Ben.”

“Raven,” he said, taking his hand and giving him a little smirk.

Ben laughed, but then he was distracted by how warm and soft Raven’s hand was. And how long Raven held on to his. “Ah. Sounds like your mom reallyloves that poem.”

“Yes, she does. Didn’t even give me a middle name to fall back on. But I don’t mind. It could be worse.” He finally let go of Ben’s hand.

Ben considered this, and then had to ask, “How?”

“I could be blond. Then it wouldn’t really fit me at all.”

Ben stuck his hands in his pockets to avoid fidgeting. Were they flirting? He couldn’t tell yet, but a fifteen-second handshake seemed a step in that direction. “That would be worse. At least it does suit you. Very well actually.”

The smile Raven gave Ben reassured him they were indeed flirting here. They both looked into the room for a few seconds, and then Raven asked, “Are you here visiting the campus itself or do you have friends here? Maybe I could persuade you to have dinner with me.”

Ben wanted to jump at the chance, but he couldn’t do that to Mark. “My friend Mark goes here. He’s in a math class right now. I’m just up for a visit, taking a few vacation days.”

Raven’s face fell noticeably. “That’s too bad.” Perking up a bit, he asked, “Would you like to get some coffee while he’s in class? Or I could take you around the campus. I don’t have any classes today. I just came over for a walk before heading in to work.”

Ben didn’t even have to think about it. Coffee and a free tour could definitely be a nice way to pass the time, especially with this guy. “I’d love to.”

Raven smiled. “Great. It’s only a short walk to my favorite place.”

As they walked, Ben admired the campus. The stately buildings and tall trees were so beautiful. He could really feel the history around him in the bricks and stones.

“There are actually lots of supposedly haunted sites on campus, but I think most of the stories are made up for the tourists and students,” Raven said as they passed the rotunda.

“Are there any you do think are real?”

He smiled. “There’s one from a few decades back that seemed completely fabricated to me at first, until I actually visited the place.” He pointed to a long two-story brick building with tall, slender windows.

“A real ghost?” Ben looked at all the windows, but he couldn’t see into the building at all because the blinds were all closed.

“At one time, I think so. The building’s still used for classrooms and offices.” He stopped on the lawn and pointed to the last window on the left, which was partially hidden by trees. “That room is storage now, but it was once a classroom. A girl died there under pretty scandalous circumstances.”

“What happened?” Even if he wasn’t ready to believe in ghosts, the story sounded intriguing.

He pointed across the street. “Let’s get our coffee, and then we’ll come back here.” He smiled again. Ben was definitely starting to like that smile. “Get the mood right and everything.”

Ben raised his eyebrows after he turned to check traffic, wondering just what they might be setting the mood for. He had ideas popping into his head already.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Welcome Stormy Glenn back to Sunday Spotlight! She's here both celebrating her 10 year publishing anniversary AND sharing a bit from her new release, The Vampire's Duty.

THE VAMPIRE'S DUTY

Vampire Chronicles 4

Aldrich was the head enforcer for his vampire tribe. He'd seen the worst of humanity, both vampire and human. When he finds a sweet man in need of protection, he knows he's up for the job. Mating is something all together different. Mating requires something he doesn't have. Gentleness. Understanding. Patience. Love.

Mateo has been looking for someone to see him for a very long time. He's been through his share of jerks because of it. When the head enforcer acknowledges him, Mateo can't help but hope for something more, but when Aldrich disappears without a word, he admits defeat.

All too soon, Aldrich realizes Mateo is his mate. He isn't quite sure what to do with the sexy little man until someone goes after Mateo, and then he knows exactly what to do. Death won't come easily to his enemies because Aldrich doesn't have an ounce of compassion in his soul for those who threaten what's his.

Aldrich watched with a growing sense of disgust as Mateo sucked off another vampire. After weeks of watching the man flit from one vampire to the next, dropping to his knees to service someone in the tribe, he knew what he would see next.

As Mateo wiped his hand over his mouth, removing all remnants of what he had just done, he looked up at the vampire he had just sucked off with a glint of hope and desperation in his eyes.

And just like every other time, the vampire merely patted Mateo on the head and walked away, forgetting Mateo even existed the moment he turned away. Mateo would stare after him, a shimmer of tears glittering in his eyes for a moment before he blinked them away and pretended like one more dream hadn't been shattered all over the floor.

Aldrich seriously doubted anyone except him ever saw that moment of weakness on Mateo's face. Why would they? They weren't looking at his face. They never did. Aldrich would bet his entire fortune that if he asked any member of the tribe what color Mateo's eyes were, they wouldn't know.

Aldrich knew.

Mateo's eyes were golden-amber brown.

He wasn't sure what exactly had drawn the little vampire to his attention, but something had. And he hadn't been able to stop watching him since. Aldrich had seen Mateo get dismissed time and time again over the last several weeks.

It was painful to watch.

Aldrich couldn't stand to watch one second more. With the way Mateo went from vampire to vampire looking for acceptance, someone was going to get pissed and get into a fight. As head enforcer and second in command under Louis Redgrave, the head of security for Vaile Industries, it was Aldrich's job to keep the peace. Someone needed to take Mateo in hand before things escalated and it looked like he was going to be that someone.

"Mateo!"

Hair the color of burnt copper flopped around Mateo's face as his head whipped up, his golden-amber eyes searching the darkness until they landed on Aldrich. For a moment, he looked stunned, his mouth hanging open as if he couldn't quite believe he had been called by the head enforcer of the tribe.

"I'm waiting, Mateo." Aldrich's voice dropped an octave, ensuring that the man knew he was serious. He was in no way surprised when Mateo jumped to his feet and raced across the marble floor. An order was an order and refusing one could get Mateo in serious trouble. Aldrich pointed to the spot on the floor next to him when Mateo reached his side. "Sit."

Mateo dropped to his knees so fast that Aldrich heard them smack on the hard marble floor and winced. Damn, that had to hurt. To give him credit, Mateo didn't even whimper. He just knelt there on the floor next to Aldrich's chair and waited.

After a few moments, his shoulders slowly started to slump.

"Sit up straight, Mateo." Aldrich's tone was a little harsher than he intended, but Mateo snapped up ramrod straight, so the desired effect was accomplished. "I do not like slumping. It is lazy."

"Yes, sir."

A low rumbling growl tangled up the air currents. Those two little words took Aldrich's intrigue and turned it into a physical awareness of Mateo that stole the very breath right out of his lungs.

Something pulled Aldrich's attention to Mateo, refusing to release him until he reached out and fisted a handful of the man's burnt-copper curls. There was a tingling in the pit of his stomach, a deep awareness that something in his life was about to take a major left turn.

Aldrich needed space before he started to hyperventilate or mauled Mateo right there in the great room, and he needed that space now. He pulled Mateo's head back until he could look down into the man's golden-amber eyes. "I don't like the smell of so many others on your skin. Go bathe."

Mateo gulped, his eyes straying to the darkened window. "Now, sir?"

Aldrich's brows pulled together in an angry frown. His silence had to speak for him because he wasn't about to repeat himself. He never repeated himself.

"But—" Mateo glanced back at Aldrich, his expression clearly saying he hoped Aldrich might change his mind. One look at Aldrich and Mateo's shoulders slumped, but just for a moment before straightening up once again. "Yes, sir."

It took all of Aldrich's control to loosen the grip he had on Mateo's hair and allow the man to stand. As much as he wanted Mateo as far away from him as possible, he wanted him close as well. He didn't understand these possessive feelings.

"Mateo."

"Yes, sir?"

"No one touches you but me."

Mateo's eyebrows were high and his eyes rounded as he nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

Aldrich had no idea what made him say that considering that nearly half the tribe had put their hands on Mateo at one point or another. But as Mateo walked away, carefully maneuvering between other tribe members to avoid touching them, Aldrich knew he had made the right choice.

Restlessly, Aldrich stroked the arm of his chair. He turned his attention to the vampires lounging about the great room. Being the enforcer for his tribe gave him a unique viewpoint where the members were concerned. He knew their secrets, things that they would rather never came to light.

He knew who had broken the rules and skirted along the edges of the traditions they were taught from birth to adhere to, and he knew who was in danger of betraying all that they believed in as a species.

He could see the blackness in their souls. That did not make him a very popular person. He was feared by his tribe members almost as much as their prince was.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Welcome Hayden West back to Sunday Spotlight. Hayden is sharing a bit from the new release, Sagar (Ascension, Book 2)

****

I’m one of the Angels. My duty is to be a messenger and to watch over the mortals. I protect them. Secretly I’ve wanted to be one of the warriors, but I tell no one my wish. I have a place in the hierarchy, and I won’t challenge it.

At least not until I meet the lifeguard Dorn, who is also tasked with protecting humans. I want to be intertwined with his future, but evil is approaching, and I’m not in a position to solely protect him. I have duties.

Chapter One
The stench of dead and decaying bodies permeated the air with a thickness not even an angel could ignore. His stomach seized, and Sagar struggled to keep his lunch down. Truthfully, most of his focus remained on keeping his pristine feathers out of the mix of entrails and blood as he moved across the carnage to where to Powers stood, talking to one another.
From all appearances the Powers weren’t fazed. Not even with the dark stains on their wings. Still, their wings didn’t hang in the muck and he didn’t want his in there either. Slanting a gaze to the angel who had been summoned with him, he sidestepped a pile of bloody mess and returned his gaze to the warriors there.
By all accounts—from what he’d heard—even the Archangels were amazed by the fighting skills of these Powers. More specifically, Danijel.
“You’re staring,” Jordan whispered.
“Hard not to. He’s a legend. They both are.”
Jordan shook his head, but there was the same look in his own eyes, which Sagar knew mirrored his. They slowed and waited for the duo to acknowledge them both. Golden eyes, the mark of a Power, looked at him. Correction, not just at him, but deep into him seeing all he was and more. It wasn’t Danijel but his fellow Power, Demuri. The one who had fallen in love with a human.
A human male.
Thoughts to focus on another time.
“Thank you for coming.” Demuri’s tone vibrated with his power, and it overflowed both of them from Jordan’s expression and his own feeling.
“How can we be of service to the Powers?”
While he posed the question to the two he found it nigh impossible to look away from Danijel. He was awe inspiring, and the legends surrounding him only added to the mystery and lore.
Danijel gave him the briefest of glances. “There were three angels here, one’s missing. There is talk you are friends.”
His stomach lurched and to him, Jordan’s expression turned a bit green to his mind. These were angels lying in nothing more than entrails and blood upon the ground? Unease skated up his spine. Why would anyone want to do this to them?
“What did this?”
Both the Powers stared at him once more. He refused to look away. Jordan had lost his food, and neither Power said anything, merely stared at Sagar. Assessing.
Correction, not merely. Nothing with these two was merely anything.
“Where would Renata be?”
He thought about it and struggled not to focus on the knowledge if they searched for Renata, lying there were her siblings that made up the triplets.
“She enjoys the beach and ocean. California’s beaches.”
“Go there.” A flicker to Jordan. “I will send another Power along. Jordan will remain here.” Demuri cracked his neck. “You come with me.” He walked away, and Sagar hastened after him, not wishing to make him tell him more than once.
They may not be in the same circles, but they all had the same boss. And Demuri was a Power. A warrior. Something Sagar had always wanted to be, in the deepest, darkest recess of his mind, that was his wish. He was always careful to keep that desire hidden from everyone. He never wanted anyone to think he wasn’t happy where he was, but in truth, he’d always wanted more. Not more power, but more. He wanted to be on the front lines.
The Power lifted from the slaughter with a powerful beat of his dark grey wings. Sagar took after him—a lot less impressive than Demuri for sure.
They flew for a while, and he had been pushed to his limit when they landed by a large home. Unsure of where they were, he gazed about as he struggled to keep his wings up as Demuri did. Sagar was strong but compared to the Power beside him, he was like a newborn baby. All he wanted to do was fall over with exhaustion.
The Power didn’t look winded, even in the slightest. If there was any strain to hold those wings up and out of the dirt, it wasn’t shown on his face.
“Wait here.”
It never occurred to him to disobey, so after the Power vanished into and subsequently returned from the structure, he never moved. Beyond Demuri, he spied a human male stepping out onto the porch.
His lover. Before that registered another angel flew into sight. Another Power, golden eyes, cold and unforgiving as he landed beside Sagar.
Again, he was woefully outmatched and he didn’t like this feeling in the slightest. He gave him a nod, a respectful one, but didn’t speak. One didn’t simply talk to the Powers.
“You are the one accompanying me to California?”
“I am.”
“Let’s go.”
No name was given, yet when the Power lifted up, Sagar remained on the ground.
“We need to go. Now.”
“I was told to wait here.” Sagar flicked a quick glance to the powerful beating wings of the Power near him. Then he moved his focus to the one kissing the human.
“You are ignoring my command?”
“No, Elexus. He was following my order.” Demuri’s strong voice entered. “Land. We are not ready to go yet.”
The one called Elexus obeyed, but Sagar couldn’t help but notice the slight flicker of discontent on his face as he did so. Averting his gaze, Sagar waited for his next instruction. He was far out of his league here, unsure how they went around and found those who preyed not just on humans but also angels.
Frustration burned his eyes as he thought about Renata and her twins, Rolto and Reni, having to face the horror and fear they had. He didn’t allow them to fall for he refused to cry.
“Come, Sagar.”
Lifting his wings slightly higher, he followed Demuri’s bidding and approached the two Powers. Again, he took in how their wings never dragged in the dry, dusty ground and how they didn’t appear to have to strain as he did to keep that from happening.
Demuri ran a critical gaze over him. “We will rest here for two hours then press on. I would suggest you rest. The flight is long. Tristan will show you to a bed.”
While he longed to argue that he could go now and didn’t need to be babied, he kept that to himself and followed the dark-haired human male inside.
“Here you go,” he said, opening the door to a nice-size room with a large bed.
Tristan stepped back, ensuring not to touch his wings before moving back down the hall.
Sagar’s dreams were full of blood and gore. When he woke, his uncertainty level had risen. After thanking Tristan for his hospitality, he rose into the air and followed Elexus and Demuri off to a part of the land he’d never been to before.

Saturday, October 13, 2018

I know I posted last week about the issues I was having with my muse... and how I was really struggling with life in general and the lack of stories circling in my brain...

BUT...

I feel like I might be crawling out of the black pit of despair, slowly but surely.

I actually finished an outline for ONE of the books I'd mentioned and I'm back to writing. I'd already had it partially written (some scenes here and there that had come to me), so now it's just a matter of putting them into place and connecting the dots; adding more flesh to the bones.

So what was that ONE book?

A Bear Mountain story.

I know I've told some of you guys that I was planning a Return to Bear Mountain/Next Generation series...

NO... this book is NOT in that series.... but YES, I still am planning to write RTBM.

But in my quest to get all my p's and q's in place, I re-read the entire Bear Mountain series, took copious notes, and let some ideas churn.

And I noticed I'd never told the story of Declan's YOUNGER brothers Kai and Landon.

They were mentioned at Gregor's funeral and then never showed up in the series again. In my mind, I knew where they were. I just forgot to tell you guys...

They aren't the next generation. They're about the same age as many of the McCreary boys.

So it didn't feel right to include them in a next generation series.

Kai and his brother bear Lane will be book 21. Landon and his brother bear, Chase, will be book 22.

Both of these stories will be post-Zed and a bit of a bridge between the stories that have already come and the new ones to come in the Return series.

Neither have firm titles yet, but I *HOPE* to have book 21 coming to you the end of October.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Welcome Lisa Oliver back to Sunday Spotlight. She's sharing a bit from her new release, Bound by Blood.

****

Maximillian "Max" Lipovsky has been Regent of the Atlanta coven for the past six months. His days are full of meetings and paperwork as he does his best to straighten out the mess left during the disastrous reign of Vadim's brother Ermine. With Vadim now happily living in Cloverleah with his mate Josh, it's up to Max to keep his friend's coven happy and safe. Easier said than done. When it is pointed out to him it'd been more than six months since he'd fed from a willing donor, Max decides a night out is exactly what's needed.

Lyle Roberts is tired of being scared, tiny, and alone. But mostly he's tired. When a tall, strong man with flashing red eyes stops him getting beaten up in an alley, he thought he might have found a momentary reprieve from his rotten life. Finding out the man was a vampire, something he'd only seen in movies, Lyle decides to take a chance and asks the man to remove his curse. Only, it turns out Lyle isn't cursed after all - unless you consider having a workaholic mate as a curse.

Lyle's arrival at the coven seems to have brought out the worst in people. As soon as one threat's dealt with, another one rears its ugly head. With the Alpha of the Atlanta pack pushing for a meeting, and vampires turning rogue within the coven itself, Max has his hands full. The only problem is, with his hands full, he doesn't have anything to hold his beloved with. Will Max and Lyle ever find their HEA or will the mating curse strike its cruelest blow of all?

Bound by Blood is a complete standalone spin off story from the Cloverleah pack. Regular Lisa Oliver readers will remember Max from Watching Out for Fangs (The Cloverleah series #7) but it's not necessary to have read that book, to understand this one. Intimate situations and some violence means this book is suitable for adults only.#MMPNR #MMRomance #MMTrueMates

“It’s true, I tell you,” Max laughed as he and Dominic left the restaurant. Feeling more relaxed than he had for ages, Max was looking forward to busting out some moves on the nearest dancefloor. “Tobias told me the next day, just after Vadim got married. His friend had bitten him, claimed him, and then ran off to make a phone call to some other guy. What else was Tobias meant to think?”

“And he ended up with both of them. Lucky bastard.” Dominic stilled. “Did you hear that?”

Max tilted his head. “Sounds like a couple of cats fighting in the alley.” He sniffed the air discretely and his eyes widened. “It’s nasty. There’s blood in the air.” Turning, he walked into the dark alley, his eyes flashing red as he scanned for life forms.

“Max, what are you doing? It’s just a couple of cats, for crying out loud.”

“Not just any cats, Dom. Go and get the car.” Max followed the faint hint of blood in the air, drawn to it, mesmerized. He lost it for one minute, as the smell coming from the dumpster flooded his senses, but he kept going. There, in the darkness, were two cats. One black, one who looked as though he used to have white fur, but now that white was matted with blood and what looked like dust and grease. The skinny white cat was holding his own, but the black tom was bigger, meaner, and wasn’t backing down.

Max kicked a stone across the concrete and both cats froze, looking at him. Trusting his instincts, Max crouched down and held out his hand. “Here, kitty, kitty. Nice white kitty. Come on, come here where you’ll be safe with me.”

“What are you doing?” Dominic’s voice sounded behind him and in the distraction the black cat lashed out a paw, swiping the white one across the face. The pained meow tugged at Max’s heart as fresh blood welled up from the scratch. As soon as the tantalizing scent hit the air, Max knew. His long search was over.

“Fate works in mysterious ways, my friend,” Max said keeping his voice low. “Unless my nose is having a major malfunction, that little white beauty is my beloved.”

Lisa Oliver had been writing non-fiction books for years when visions of half dressed, buff men started invading her dreams. Unable to resist the lure of her stories, Lisa decided to switch to fiction books, and now stories about her men clamor to get out from under her fingertips.

When Lisa is not writing, she is usually reading with a cup of tea always at hand. Her grown children and grandchildren sometimes try and pry her away from the computer and have found that the best way to do it, is to promise her chocolate. Lisa will do anything for chocolate.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers and other writers. You can friend her on Facebook, catch up on what is happening at her blog or email her.

Friday, October 5, 2018

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

My muse is typically pretty amazing, feeding me all kinds of stories, all the time... often too many for me to digest (you should see my "unwritten" file.)

I see my stories like movies in my mind, scene by scene, and that's how I write them -- as I saw them playing out.

Right now, I have three Kelex stories on deck...

One is something that hit me hard and I *thought* really wanted to be told. I completely see the first few chapters of the book--hell, I've already written two of them-- but then after that, I only see pieces. I tried to force an outline and drag those scenes together, but I can't find the thread.

So... maybe it's not completely ready yet. It's a hugely important book and I want to do it right, because it deserves to be done right.

The second is a story I promised a while ago *cough* Midnight 5 *cough*

Again, I see the beginning and some pieces in the middle, but I can't see the whole thing in my mind. I think I know the players involved, but the story is just alluding me. I've seen this beginning for MONTHS now and can't seem to fill in the blanks... so I went off on some tangents, finished off the In Bed series, tried a new pen name, all of that basically wasting time until I could figure this one out.

It. Won't. Come.

*head-desk*

The third was one I was sitting on. I can see the whole story in my mind, but in all honesty, I think it's such a GINORMOUS story that I don't know how I can contain it.

And truth be told, it started out as a VERY different story. About 60,000 words in and I realized the secondary storyline was in all actuality the real story and that I needed to surgically remove it from the other words and make the secondary characters the stars. It left me with 40,000 words for book one and potentially 20,000 for book two.

After surgery in June, I wanted to let it sit, heal, and let my brain get away from it before diving back in, all fresh and shit.

Now, I'm standing on the edge of the deep end, scared shitless.

This story is something very different for me. I am IN LOVE with this story... so in love with it, I'm terrified you all will hate it.

Yes, it is gay romance. Yes, it has erotic bits that will keep it steamy. Yes, people will possibly love it as much as I do, but... it's more romancey than I typically write AND has some very, very difficult and dark events within that I'm just not sure the characters can truly survive. Heck, I might not survive writing it. Parts of the outline have got me teary eyed.

So, I'm diving in.

If you don't hear a whole lot out of me for a bit, don't worry. I don't think I'll drown.